Daniel Vega-Albela - Violin
Born in Mexico City, Daniel Vega-Albela studied violin with Yuriko Kuronuma. At fifteen, he won silver medal in the first National Violin Competition in Mexico City. At sixteen he received his Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance from the Mannes College of Music. He has played with many ensembles in the United States, such as the St. Cecilia Chamber Orchestra, the Amherst Collegium Musicum, the Opus 1 String Ensemble, the Asparagus Valley Chamber Ensemble, and the Western New York Chamber Players. He has toured Japan and Mexico, and has had many appearances with different orchestras throughout Mexico. He has also worked with several chamber and symphony orchestras in Mexico, such as the Orquesta de Cámara de Morelos, the Camerata de Torreón, the Camerata de Roberto Kolb and the Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería.
Mr. Vega-Albela holds a Master of violin performance degree from Western Michigan University, and a Master of chamber music degree from Kent State University, where he studied with Renata Artman Knific and Ivan Chan, respectively. His devotion to teaching has already yielded some important results: he is featured in the 2004 and 2005 edition of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.
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Jorge Martinez - Viola
Born in Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico, Jorge Martinez studied viola at the Conservatorio de las Rosas, graduating with honors under the tutelage of professor Gela Dubrova. In August 2001, he was awarded a fellowship by the Department of Public Education of Mexico to study abroad, completing his Master of Music degree in Viola Performance at Western Michigan University.
While at WMU, Mr. Martinez became a member of the Phi Kappa Lambda Music Honors Society. In addition to this, he was awarded, along with his La Catrina colleagues, the prestigious All University Graduate Research and Creative Scholar Award. Mr. Martinez was a faculty member of the Conservatorio de las Rosas in Mexico, as well as instructor of violin and viola at Crescendo Academy of Music in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Mr. Martinez was assistant principal of Camerata de Coahuila and Orquesta de Camara de Morelia. Most recently, He received an offer to become principal viola of the Orquesta Sinfonica de Mineria, and has appeared as soloist with several orchestras in Mexico; in 2004, he gave a recital and a master class in London.
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Blake Espy - Violin
Born in Savannah, Georgia, Blake Espy started violin at the age of six. He has been associate concertmaster of the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra; a frequent performer with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and a member of Grand Rapids Symphony in Michigan. He also spent one summer in Mexico City performing with Orquesta Sinfonica de Mineria. In 2007, Mr. Espy was invited to become a member of the New World Symphony in Mami Beach, FL, where he was given the opportunity to act as rotating concertmaster, chamber musician, and educator to young musicians in the Miami area.
In his hometown of Savannah, Mr. Espy created a non-profit organization called Project 440, whose mission is to establish a healthy and sustainable environment for classical music throughout the area by means of community engagement, unique performance venues, innovative programming, as well as traditional performance practices. Mr. Espy holds a Bachelor of Music Performance Degree from Western Michigan University, a Master of Music Performance Degree from Louisiana State University and an Artist’s diploma at SUNY Purchase.
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César Bourguet - Cello
A native of Oaxaca, Mexico, César Bourguet began musical studies at the age of seven with his father, Arturo Martínez San Juan. At 15, he moved to Mexico City to continue studies at the Ollin Yolitzli Cultural Center. He would later pursue further studies at the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston, Texas and the Florida International University in Miami, Florida.
Mr. Bourguet has been awarded First Prize in the "Schlern International Music Competition" of 2005 (Italy); top honors for sonata interpretation in the "Khachaturian International Cello Competition", Yerevan, Armenia (2005). He was also a laureate winner in the "Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion" competition in Houston, as part of the 2004 Texas Music Festival, and the Moores Concerto Competition, also in Houston.
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